Sweet Simplicity
by Karin Ochibi-chan
Summary: AU- She didn't want a bad-boy or a prince charming, for all she wanted was the quiet boy sitting in the back of her classroom instead. Koko/Mikan Mikan/Kokoro


**Karin: Hey, really bored so decided to put out this oneshot on Mikan and Koko! I just think they're so cute together and I'm sad that there seems to be little to none fanfictions out there for them. **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice.

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"_It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart"_ –Unknown

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**Sweet Simplicity**

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In the short span of her fifteen-year-old life, Mikan Sakura had never seen anything as beautiful as the sight before her presently. Indeed she had seen lovely scenes in nature where she took pictures with the help of her camera, and she also seen the heart-warming beauty of paintings and loving families, but nothing could compare to what she was currently gazing at right at that moment.

Certainly, she was a skeptical and thorough person when it came to judging beauty—the prodigal photographer side of her expected nothing less than sharp eyes. However, the young artist knew when she was looking at something worth the definition of beauty. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Nothing she could come up with would change that fact otherwise.

And what stunned this photo-holic teenager sat only a few yards away from her in the back of her classroom.

Hazel brown eyes quietly and discreetly watched the sight of what she deemed beauty while half-listening to her blue-haired friend telling her and their pink-haired friend about her date with so and so (like she said, she was only half paying attention to what Nonoko was blabbering about). Honey brown locks that shortly passed her shoulders in a half-ponytail pushed slightly back in order to get a better view while her hand twitched towards where her camera usually rested around her neck—_usually_, she wasn't allowed to have it out during school hours, which really irritated her.

Messy, shaggy sandy brown locks drifted slightly over chocolate brown eyes—who were currently staring out the window in their own little world—as two arms were placed behind the owner's head in a laidback fashion. His expression thoughtful and dazed at the same time not really paying attention to the world around them.

For five years Mikan has been surrounded by her peers in Alice Academy—people of many kinds. Cold, yet kind people like Hotaru; Charming and friendly people like Ruka; Reclusive, antisocial people like Natsume; Cheery and flamboyant like Narumi-sensei; Loud and demanding people like Sumire; Shy, yet caring like Yuu—indeed she's seen and met people of many varieties in this school.

But nothing—no one for this matter—could intrigue the youth as this specimen did. There was something about him that caught her eye. Something that just screamed beauty to her when nothing else did.

He was generally quiet, not antisocial like Natsume of course, for he just didn't have anything to say most of the time. From time to time, the fifteen-year-old boy would add his own two cents when asked; offering a sheepish, yet friendly smile as he did so. He was shy at times with his peers, but not a stuttering mess like Yuu was. One example of his shyness would be when he would habitually rub the back of his head in an embarrassed gesture to calm his nerves.

He was also nice to others—never demonstrated ill will towards any of his peers whatsoever. In addition, he was honest for he saw no reason to lie to others which proved him to be the best opinion in a matter. True, sometimes you might not like his answer, but at least he never sugarcoated anything—and that was what made him so admirable. He could be very opinionated himself, but he was never an assertive person. He accepted others opinions without allowing himself to fall to peer-pressure and allow them to affect his own opinions.

For the most part, in anyone else's eyes, they would call the boy average. After all, he wasn't overly athletic or super smart. His grades were average. His athletic ability was average. _He_ was average. Nothing special about him whatsoever.

Nonetheless, this was _her_ eyes we are talking about. Those analytical eyes that pick out everything to the smallest detail. The eyes that can find something special in everything—Hotaru told her that once. And precisely she did see something in that boy that no one else saw. Something that everyone else was too blind to find.

Kokoro Yome. Kokoro Yome was his name—and in her eyes, he was the most beautiful thing in the world.

And curse it that she didn't have her camera! That she was not allowed to capture the beauty that no one else saw. He was a hidden beauty—a diamond in the rough she supposed for people were too concerned with fake beauty to see the real beauty before their eyes.

Kokoro was beautiful both inside and out, as cliché as it sounded, it was true to what Mikan thought. Everything about him was something you would take and want to cherish in your heart. The kind of beauty that warms your soul and makes you smile without any reason. He reminded Mikan of nature—nothing artificial about him, just himself.

And it made her eyes narrow as she thought of how people couldn't see that. The fact that people were too absorbed in their own bubble of achieving false beauty that they don't notice what's in front of them. People were more concerned with make-up and wearing cologne and perfecting their appearance that they forget to show the thing that really matters and what displays true beauty—themselves, personality and all.

Perhaps that is what attracted the photographer to the quiet boy. The fact that he did not bother himself with petty matters such as the whole population seems to be is what fascinated her.

Nonoko and Anna once joked that Mikan could have any guy she wanted. After all, rumor had it that bad-boy Natsume and prince charming Ruka both liked her. They were quite popular among the female population actually. She had known both of them since she was ten and ever since she had seen girls—including her friend Sumire—fawn over them. And why wouldn't they? Natsume was a sexy, cool, heartthrob and Ruka was a cute, caring, bachelor. It only got more hectic when they all entered high school. Girls practically threw themselves at their feet.

But Mikan didn't want a sexy bad-boy or caring prince charming. She only wanted the average boy sitting in the back of the room with his head in the clouds.

No one could compete with that. There may be better looking people (it wasn't like he was bad looking—Kokoro was actually very attractive if you wanted to debate) but no one would outmatch him in beauty in her eyes.

Not even Natsume or Ruka.

"Sakura-san, you never change," Sumire shook her head slightly when she caught sight of Mikan observing. Anna and Nonoko were too busy engrossed in their own world to notice, and the ever-perceptive Hotaru was not present in homeroom for she had to visit the teacher's lounge to discuss with student council along with Yuu about upcoming events. "Honestly, I'll never understand your views" the Shouda girl shook her head with a soft smile.

Mikan gave the green-haired girl a light smile turning her attention away from Kokoro.

"It seems so, Permy," the honey-brown haired girl addressed her with her nickname. Only Mikan could get away with calling Sumire "Permy" without getting a black eye in the process. "Would you rather me be normal and chase after Natsume or Ruka?" the girl raised an eyebrow at the green-eyed girl, who in turn, scoffed.

"Of course not, but I'm not saying you have bad taste either," Ah, ever the straightforward Sumire! "I'm just wondering what is it you see that others don't see? There has to be something that's only for your eyes only. To be honest, Sakura-san, I'm a little envious." the seaweed-haired girl told her.

To this reply, Mikan only shrugged before her eyes drifted back to watching the boy. A small, fond smile uplifted on her lips as she saw him snap out of his dreamland rather comically when their fellow classmate Kitsuneme came to greet the boy.

The Shouda girl's eyes softened in understanding at the photographer. Letting out an amused sigh, Sumire nudged Mikan with her elbow lightly towards the boy.

"Well, go on, at least _talk_ to him Miss Photographer. Beauty is fleeting after all" the girl quoted dramatically. Mikan let out a light laugh at her statement. Both noticed that Kokoro was left alone again, and Sumire nudged her once more.

With a tiny chuckle still on her lips, Mikan rose from her seat and approached his desk. A big smile on her features is what Kokoro found when he noticed her. Giving a good-natured smile of his own, the boy did his usual habit of rubbing the back of his head in shyness.

"What's up, Sakura-chan?" he inquired.

The smile never fading, Mikan replied.

"After school, could I maybe take a picture of you?"

For he was the most beautiful thing she's ever laid eyes on.

He was a natural beauty—something that couldn't be outmatched or beaten.

He was sweet simplicity. The most beautiful thing of all.

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"_You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear"_ –Unknown

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**Karin: Yay! All done! Hope you liked it. This goes to all the Koko/Mikan fans out there and hopefully, there might be more fics about them in the future. **

**See ya Next time! **


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